Salad with Korean-Style Carrots, Dry-Cured Sausage, and Cucumbers

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Get all the ingredients ready. You can use other components in this salad — for instance, swap the smoked sausage for boiled sausage, ham, poached chicken breast, smoked chicken, or fried liver. Instead of fresh cucumber, corn or peas would work well. In short, decide which flavor you prefer — sour, spicy, sweet-and-sour — and add the ingredients accordingly. The Korean carrots can be store-bought or homemade.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the sausage into small batons or cubes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Get the croutons ready. You can use a ready-made store package, but I usually make my own since I don't care for MSG flavorings. In this case mine are paprika croutons.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel and slice the onion into thin half-rings. Pour boiling water over it for about 5 minutes; it'll lose its sharpness and bitterness, so you won't be the only one willing to eat the salad afterward.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cut the pickled and fresh cucumbers into thin batons. Drain the onion in a sieve, rinse it well under cold running water, and let it drain.

6. Step 6:

   

   You can make the salad in individual portions or in one large bowl, either layered or all mixed together. I plated it in individual portions on flat side plates. First lay down a layer of dry-cured sausage cut into strips.

7. Step 7:

   

   Then add the pickled and fresh cucumber. Pile on the juicy onion rings.

8. Step 8:

   

   Then heap on the Korean carrots.

9. Step 9:

   

   Drizzle on a lattice of mayonnaise and scatter a handful of croutons on top.

10. Step 10:

    

    Serve this Korean-carrot-and-crouton salad on a holiday table or on an ordinary weeknight. It's fairly calorie-dense, so it can easily stand in for a snack or dinner. Enjoy!